


A Hart and a Bull walks into a bar: Epilogue

by Neacle



Series: A Hart and a Bull [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jaws of Hakkon Spoilers, Mild Smut, The Descent spoilers, Trespasser Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 00:47:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4856792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neacle/pseuds/Neacle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles from the DLC's featuring Inquisitor Lavellan and Iron Bull, ultimately leading up to the Exalted Counsel and the future for the Inquisition</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jaws of Hakkon

The Frostback Basin reminds Shalini is some small way about all the woods and wilderness her clan traveled through and lived in. As a child, she and the few friends she'd had at the time had often snuck away to play in the trees and branches. Who could climb the highest, they'd say. Who could climb the quickest, who could jump the furthest?

Shalini had only won once, when she reached as far as one could climb and looked out over the canopy, its greens and oranges a muddy sea as far as she could see.

In her naïve youth, she had thought this was as high as anyone could ever climb. Maybe if she reached a little further, she could touch the sky.

 

The Basin almost makes her believe she could, with its large branches and roots stretching far and wide. With an almost childlike glee she gathers as much force as she can and runs over the thick veins that reaches over the canyon, her feet strong and sure, never slipping.

Watching Vivienne giving her a dark look as she as regally as possible tries to make her way over as well, takes some of it away though.

“Was there really no other way over, my dear?” She asks coldly, to which Shalini quickly tries to change the subject. There will probably be many more occasions where climbing trees and branches will be an option even if others are possible, just because she can.

 

oOo

 

The way Bull pushes her up against the wall the minute they've reached and established their first camp high up in the trees, makes her think their somewhat unusual place of coupling is even more arousing to him than it is to her. He grabs her by the bottom and immediately lifts her up, her arms going around his neck.

“Is this the first time you've ever done it in a tree?” She teases, her lips traveling over his brow and cheekbones. He chuckles and presses his mouth against her neck, his teeth and stubble rough against her skin.

“There's a first time for everything, Kadan.” He hums before he abruptly stops his teasing of her neck and looks at her, his face intrigued. “What, have you done it before?”

She only has to smile, small and mischievous, and his eye gets a glint she's never seen before. Perhaps he likes that she's done something that he hasn't, something she had enjoyed, something not everyone would do or really think of, something wild.

He slowly puts her done on the floor again, his gaze never leaving hers, and for a moment Shalini wonders if the powerplay has somehow shifted. Is she in charge now? She's unsure what to think of that, if she even wants to. But before she can do anything to show her uncertainty, he's there to reassure her.

“Undress.” He murmurs, his voice low. A heated jolt moves through her when she hears his command and she shudders, her hands almost trembling in anticipation as she moves up to unbutton her nightgown.

As she does so, Bull grabs one of the blankets from her sleepingbag. She's about to ask why when he drapes her naked form in it, and then lifts her up in the cradle of his arm, a silent grin on his face.

“This is the plan, Kadan.” His voice still as low, and he motions for her to lean closer, her ear so close that she shivers when he whispers.

Her skin is flushed and warm when he carries her out, his step as quiet as possible. No one is to hear them, he said. Not a sound from her, not a whimper. A game of silence.

When they get as far as the platforms can carry them, Shalini points out a sturdy branch just by the edge, and Bull hums approvingly.

He lets her down and she looks up at him, her elven eyes shimmering an airy ember as she reaches back and slowly let's down her hair. Without saying a word, she turns around, blanket flowing around her like a cloak, and with a quick leap she runs up the branch, the crook of it perfect to sit on...or lay down.

She settles down in the moss and looks down at him, hair wild around her face and eyes glowing.

_You've done this before_ , he'd said. _Let's see if we can make it even better._

Shalini has no doubt about that. _It wasn't like this, it wasn't with you,_ she thinks as he slowly heaves himself up as well. She lets the blanket drop around her, the air humid and warm. He grabs her wrists in one hand and gently presses them against her chest, making her lean back until she's laying down, blanket under her and the overgrown moss surrounding them.

_Wild thing_ , he whispers into her ear and pulls her arms over her head. _Wild, wild little thing._

 

Suffice to say, Shalini loses the game.

 

That's okay though, there are many trees in the Basin.

 

oOo

 

A particular form of pride fills her being as Ameridan raises his head and looks at her.

 

Andaran Atish'an

 

“Enter this place in peace.”

 

In hindsight, perhaps a very ironic use of the formal greeting, considering the way they did make it here.

 

And as their eyes never leave each other, and words and explanations are exchanged, she feels the torch slowly being passed. Elven to elven, mage to mage.

 

“Fight well, Inquisitor. I am honoured to have met you.” He says at last, and as she watches his crumbling form shatter and travel the cold wind Shalini thinks in sadness that no....no, she was honoured to have met _him._

 

oOo

 

It always seems to be a dragon involved, Shalini thinks bitterly as they near the icy nest the Avvar god has made for himself. Always, in some inexplainable way, it all comes down to one dragon and its diabolical plan to always interfere with hers. She sees a familiar pattern she really isn't in the mood for.

 

Well, perhaps the possibility of dragonblood perks her up just a little.

 

Bull agrees.

 


	2. The Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To someone who has grown up and spent most of her life in woods and open fields, the Deep Roads feels wrong, like the very stone around her is slowly closing in, trapping her in its clutches of endless shadows and coldness."

To someone who has grown up and spent most of her life in woods and open fields, the Deep Roads feels wrong, like the very stone around her is slowly closing in, trapping her in its clutches of endless shadows and coldness.

When they set up camp, Shalini has to try and convince herself that they're just in an ordinary building, and not hundreds of feet below ground.

 

How will she do this, she asks herself, her mind in disarray as the ancient lift carries them down into unknown depths.

 

Set it aside, she tells herself. This is just like any other mission. Get down there, find what's causing the quakes, stop it, then leave.

 

Find, stop, leave.

 

Find...stop...leave.

 

oOo

 

The lyrium speaks and whispers, telling her their deepest secrets and promises, only to fade in her mind as quickly as they appear.

These caverns they walk through speak of times not even Valka knows about, ancient murmurs of long forgotten things.

The Shaper herself is quiet, burying her pain of Renn in the stone that she listens to, slowly succumbing to its song.

Shalini guesses it is in a way similar to what she feels with the glowing veins that's carefully reaching out to her, stretching like branches across the stone. Everywhere she looks it seems as if these caverns are a world on their own, like a forest made of rock and crystal, with crashing waves around them. When she looks up, the cavern is so deep that the darkness above them almost looks like the night sky.

 

Wishful thinking on her part, she suppose.

 

Then she feels Bull's hand brush against her back.

 

“You okay, Kadan?” He asks, his brows sinking in concern.

“When we get out of here...” She mutters. “I will climb up a tree and not leave it for a week.”

That earns her a chuckle as she looks up at him, her face teasing.

“Really, a week?” He grins. “What will you eat?”

“You.” She says without thinking, and then covers her mouth as quickly as she can, looking at him in despair as he starts roaring with laughter.

It's quickly spreading though, as soon she's snorting as well.

 

She feels better already.

 

oOo

 

“This is...” Shalini breathes, speechless as she looks out over the view.

“Incredible.” Valka finishes, following close behind.

 

If Shalini thought the caverns before was a world of their own, then this place she sees before them truly is something else entirely. How can it be this light in here? Looking out over the mist and rock before her, it seems almost like a blue sky could be waiting beyond the horizon. Are they really below ground? Perhaps they've stepped through a portal, into another land. Or another universe.

 

“I hear birdsong...” She whispers, casting a glance behind her. “Cole?”

He is quiet, staring back at her before he at last shakes his head.

“It's too loud.” He murmurs. “So many voices, each one trying to speak. I don't know, I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to be sorry.” She shakes her head, suddenly feeling bad for even asking. How could he know? She's not sure even a spirit would have knowledge of this place.

A light breeze brushes against her cheek and she turns to look out over the abyss before her again. The mist is too thick to see what's down there, and for a second she almost wants to jump, just to catch a glimpse, just to get a chance to see.

It's when she's almost leaning over the edge and Bull has to grab her hand and pull her back that she realises that maybe not everything is worth finding out.

 

Cole looks at her again, a small smile on his lips as he shakes his head.

“Never listen to the call of the void.” He says. “It always lies.”

 

oOo

 

When the rockformations comes crashing down around them, shutting them off from the world, Shalini isn't even aware of her own fear anymore. All she can really think is, “That guardian is going to be some sort of dragon, isn't it?”

 

To say that she's actually surprised when it turns out to be something completely different is an understatement.

 

“Why do you look so relieved, my dear?” Vivienne yells at her when the creature before them stretches out and roars. “This is no time to look relieved!”

 

Ah, right. She's correct of course.

 

oOo

 

“Valka...”

 

“Don't worry.” The Shaper smiles at her. “I will be alright.”

 

When they turn to leave, Shalini can't help but feel a certain emptiness inside. So many questions, unanswered. She looks out over the horizon again, the sun that can't possibly be a sun shining back, so strong that she has to shield her eyes. Then she suddenly feels something cover her head and she turns back to see Cole holding out his hat.

“No, Cole, that's quite alright.” She smiles and shakes her head. Then he shakes his in turn.

“For comfort.” He says. “And the sun.”

“The sun?” She asks, is it really? Is it the sun?

“It is what you make it.” He says, and holds out his hat again.

 

This time she takes it.

 

oOo

 

Five days later the entrance collapses, leaving nothing to be found, including Valka.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Then Shalini did in fact stay in a tree for a week, Bull had to bring her food and then stand guard by the roots
> 
>  
> 
> The Descent was a very good DLC, the only thing I didn't like was the ending xD It felt like it was leading up to something big and then we just left with more questions than answers?? I really hope they address what happened in later games, would be so cool to find out more

**Author's Note:**

> The epilogue no one asked for is now coming to your hometown! 
> 
> Joke aside, I finished all the DLC's last week and I just needed to write this, a sort of what happens after the defeat of Corypheus and the events leading up to Trespasser
> 
> I'm planning four chapters for this, one for each DLC and lastly an epilogue
> 
> I truly hope you will enjoy this :)


End file.
